Changing batteries in electrically-propelled vehicles.



Patented Oct. 6,1908.

II ll'll A. J. DOTY. CHANGING BATTERIES IN ELEOTBIOALLY PBOPBLLED VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J. DOTY, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES BERG, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1968.

Application filed February 3, 1908. Serial No. 413,948,

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. DOTY, a citinen of the United States, residin at Mount Vernon, in the count of Westciester and State of New York, ave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Changing Batteries in Electrically-Propelled Vehicles, of which the followin is a specification.

In vehicles prope ed by current from a storage battery carried by the vehicle it is when the battery is exhausted, either to recharge the exhausted batter or to substitute a fresh battery therefor. he recharging method re uires some time, however, and hence the atter plan is preferred,

rtic'ularly by concerns operating such veles for public traffic, as cab companies and the like, since the vehicle can by that method be more quickly restored to service. At the some time, more time is afforded for careful inspection of the exhausted battery and for repairs thereto when necessary, as well as for. recharging.

My'present invention has for its object toprovide means for changing batteries in a convenient and expeditious manner, and will be readily understood from a description of the devices illustrated in the annexed drawing which shows what at the present time I consider the best mode of applying the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, Figure 1 is a cross section of a vehicle throu h the battery chamber or receptacle thereof, showing an old or exhausted battery in place and a new or charged battery about to be substituted therefor. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, substantially on line 11-11, but omitting the batter trucks and the mechanism for actuating the ram which effects the necessary movement of the batteries.

The vehicle, which of course may be of any kind, for passenger or freight use, has depending from its bed a suitable chamber or receptacle 1, provided at each side of the vehicle with an opening 2, through which the batteries are introduced and removed. Suitable closures, n t shown, are preferabl provided for closing these openings when t \e vehicle is in use.

3 indicates a battery in the receptacle 1, for which a fresh battery is to be substituted.

4 and 5 are two trucks, the bed of each being of the same height from the ground as the floor or rails on which the battery in the receptacle or chamber 1 rests. One ofthe trucks, that indicated by.5 in the drawing,

carries the freshbattel 6, and is arranged between the vehicle an the ram 7 (her'einaf ter described) with the fresh battery in alinement with, and preferably in contact with, the exhausted battery 3. The other truck, 4, is arranged on the other side 'of the vehicle, in osition to receive the battery 3 as it issues 30m the receptacle or carrier 1. The

trucks may, if desired, be provided with antifriction rollers 4", 5", to reduce the friction incident to the shiftin of the battelies, and

may also be provided with low railin s or guards 4 5", to prevent accidental dis acement of the batteries. In order to ho d the trucks positivelyin position suitable means for fastening them to the vehicle may be provided, for example the hooks 4, 5, engaging eyes on the battery carrier 1 or other convene ient part of the. vehicle. The batteries are preferably constructed as illustrated in Fig.

2-, each comprising a box having two compartments formed by a longitudinal partition, as 8, containing the storage cells, not

shown. If the batteries carry electric ter1ninals, as binding posts 9, on their ends, they are provided with suitable buffers, 10, to prevent injury to the said terminals as the fresh battery is orced against the other.

The ram includes a plunger 1 1, preferably a rack-bar, as shown, having a head 12 which bears against the battery 6 or truck-5; and suitable means for actuating the plunger to force the fresh battery into the carrier 1 and the exhausted batter outof the same and upon thetruck 4, he mechanism which I prefer for the purpose is that illustrated in ig; ,1. In this case the plunger, of the rackbar ype, is movable longitudinally in ahousing l3, and meshes with a pinion 14 journaled in the housing. This inion is driven, through the instrumentahty of suitable reducing gears (merely indicated by the dotted lines), b an electric motor 14 conveniently niounte on the housing.

The operation of the devices will now be readily understood. The vehicle, with its battery carrier open, and the trucks, one with the fresh battery, in the ositions shown, the motor '14 is started, and rives the longer 11 steadily against the battery 6. T e latter is thus moved off the truck and into the battery carrier, but at the same time pushes the old "battery out of the carrier and on to the truck.

As seen as the fresh battery is entirely within the carrier the meter is stepped; and the batteries being each as long as the width of the carrier, it is evident that when the fresh battery is in iesitiun the old battery will have been ineved entirely out ml. the enrrier' and 'upmrthe truel; 4. The truehs are new removed, the plunger H being retrneted to permit \vil lidrnvrnl el' trnek 5, whereupon the vehicle mm be llllwv l (ill and put into servire uguin.

lrnvlienl use ml the scheme nbuve described hns il(ll]l ll. 'l,l1ll(5(l ils marked utility for the pur wsn in lnmdv in fact bnlteries weighing sew-ml hundred pounds much can be changed by my method in less than thirty seeem ls.

v The uppnrutus employed is extremely sini ple mid requires the ininininin nninunl nl' ullemlnnee, sinuqns will be under-smell ui nu-r one person. min readily perform nll lhe new-s snry innnunl npernl inns.

Whul lrlniin is:

l. The emnbinulinn with fill elr-r rirnll propelled \ehirle hnvingg n lmllerv n-cv nurle depending from its bed and prm'ided wil h nit opening at eneh side n'l' the which, el' :1 mir 01'bnttvry-truelison u i iusile sides nl lhe re hirle in. pusitinn tn deliu-r n. lmtlenyintn nne iile ul [he buttery rereplnrlv nnil rereius'n battery from the other side, menus lur de lnrhnbly vmuu-rling the lrurhs Le the \'ehirle nnd nmelmuisni ['er nuiring n bnllv-ry 'l'rrnn. unr nl' the trunks inlu the rervptnrl-e ngninst n, buttery therein, whereby Ihe hitter will be displaced and delivered upon receiving truck. I

The combination with an electrically propelled vehicle having a battery rece taele depending from its bed and HUVhlGC with ()PelllllgS at each side oi" the ve 101e, of a pair of battery-trucks 0n, eppeslte sides of the vehicle in line with the openings in the battery reeeptaele, means for locking the said trucks to the Vehicle and a, ram comprising a plunger adapted to bear against a battery on one of the truelcs und mechanism for aetuntin the plunger whereby the said battery wiTl be hushed into the receptacle and will displace the exlnnisted buttery therel'reni upen the truck on thropposite side of the vehicle.

5. The ennibinatien. with an electrically lll'oln'lhil vehicle having it buttery reeeptaele depending l'rnni its bed and. provided. with an opening; at well side ell the reeeptaele, of a trucks nn nppnsite sides of lhe vehiele adapted tn assume a position to deliver u'bnl iery illlu one side of the battery reve n :u'le and to receive 2], buttery from the pm; (if buttery utlul' side, menus lnr i-leinrlmbly ennnecting the trunks and the vrhiule so as to provide at substantially mntinneus platform fer the nieveinz-nt of lhe batteries, said means comprising hunks enrried by one of said elements iind ndnpted tn engage eyes (111 the other of m'llil-fililllllllfi.

Aldilllt'. J. DUTY. \Yi messes.

M. liAwson Urine, k9, h" llUNHAM. 

